1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a multi-way electric switch having an operator control that is movably mounted by an articulated suspension. The articulated suspension includes two four-jointed link elements arranged at right angles to one another. An intermediate part connects the two link elements. One link element is coupled in a stationary manner with its two joints that are free with respect to the intermediate part. The other link element supports the operator control or a holder for the operator control with its two joints that are free with respect to the intermediate part.
2. Background Art
Multi-way electric switches include an operator control that is mounted so that it can move in several directions on a surface. Such switches are often used as data entry devices in order to input data into a data processing device. The operator control can be used to navigate a menu making it possible to go to different menu items depending on the direction of motion of the operator control. Such switches are also used as joysticks. A part such as a switch lever is kinematically coupled to the motion of the operator control. The switch lever closes a switching contact in predetermined switch positions in order to execute the action assigned to this position of the operator control which might depend on the currently selected menu.
DE 196 36 183 C2 discloses a four-way rocker actuated switch having an operator control. An articulated suspension mounts the operator control such that it can move through an articulated suspension about two perpendicular axes. The suspension includes two four-jointed link elements that are spatially arranged on top of one another. The first and second link elements each include respective first and second pairs of rockers. The first pair of rockers are coupled to a stationary carrier and whose free ends are articulately coupled on an intermediate part. Thus, the elements involved in the structure of the first link element are the stationary carrier, the first pair of rockers, and the intermediate part. The articulated coupling between the first pair of rockers and the intermediate part is done through joint axes that are arranged parallel to the stationary carrier. The second link element uses the intermediate part as a base. The second pair of rockers support a holder for the operator control and whose free ends are articulately coupled on the intermediate part through joint axes.
The first link element allows the intermediate part to move back and forth in a first direction of motion. The perpendicular arrangement of the second link element to the first link element and its support on the intermediate part allows the operator control to move in a direction perpendicular to the direction of motion of the intermediate part when the second link element is exclusively operated. Simultaneous operation of the two link elements makes it possible to move the operator control through the operator control holder in almost any way that is desired within a switching field.
The switch described in DE 196 36 183 C2 is intended to make the operator control move on a curved surface so that when a user operates the operator control, the user gets the impression of making a swiveling motion. For this reason, the distance of the joint axes to the base of the two link elements—the coupling to the stationary carrier or to the intermediate part—is greater or smaller, depending on the desired form of the swiveling motion, than the distance of the joint axes to the articulated connection of the rockers with the respective other element—the intermediate part or the operator control holder. However, DE 196 36 183 C2 does not disclose how an operator control is suspended in order to give the user the impression that the operator control is moving on a plane.
Although the switch described in DE 196 36 183 C2 does allow articulated suspension of the operator control so that it can be moved in any way desired within a field of operation, the described switch requires a relatively considerable mounting depth. It should be taken into consideration that the length of the rockers coupled to the stationary carrier and to the operator control holder defines the amount of motion that is possible and thus the size of the operating field. This has the consequence that when designing a switch whose operator control is intended to cover a certain amount of motion, it is necessary to use correspondingly long rockers. However, the mounting space in numerous applications is not deep enough to realize such a switch.